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Topic: Perfect Songs? |
Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 1 Feb 2008 7:02 pm |
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I was thinking about perfect songs today. I think any number of factors thing could make a song perfect, whether it's lyrics, instrumental performance, capturing a magical moment, etc. For me, I know a song is perfect when I want to repeat it in the middle of listening to a whole album, which I almost never do.
Anyone else have a list of songs that just couldn't be better? Here's a partial one...
Elliott Smith - Waltz #3 (from XO)
Neil Young - Words (from Harvest)
Radiohead - You and Whose Army (from Amnesiac)
Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made of Sand (from Axis:Bold As Love)
Miles Davis - All Blues (from Kind of Blue)
Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb (from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
The Byrds - One Hundred Years From now (Sweetheart of the Rodeo)
Willi Nelson - Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain (from Red Headed Stranger)
Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Pump It Up (from This Year's Model)
Wilco - Jesus, Etc. (from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
U2 - One Tree Hill (from Joshua Tree)
Last edited by Marc Jenkins on 1 Feb 2008 11:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Posted 1 Feb 2008 8:00 pm
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I'd have to say Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" 
_________________
<i>�Head full of this kaleidoscope of brain-freight, Heart full of something simple and slow�</i>
-Mark Heard
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 1 Feb 2008 8:06 pm
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| Judy Garland: Somewhere Over the Rainbow |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2008 8:19 pm
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It may seem strange coming from an old geezer that loves classic country AND bebop [Charlie,Bird Parker etc]There is one song I listen to once in a while that is pretty close to perfect,just my opinion.is Nikita by Elton John,can't explain why,but I love that song and love the arrangment.DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Steve Alcott
From:
New York, New York, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2008 10:01 pm
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| Ernest Tubb-"Waltz Across Texas". |
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Kent Thompson
From:
Wilson, OK
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Posted 1 Feb 2008 10:11 pm
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Your Old Love Letters-Ray Price
Don't Be That Way-Buddy Emmons
Good Deal Lucille-Carl Smith
Blue Eyes-Elton John
The Day You Left Me-Curtis Potter
Here,There And Everywhere-Beatles
Scarboro Fair-Roger Whittaker
Blue Eyes Cryin'In The Rain-Carl Smith
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Kent |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 4:23 pm
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I could go on and on, but one that just popped up on me the other day was "Sweet Child 'O Mine" by Guns N' Roses. They're essentially a one-hit wonder band as far as I'm concerned, their disproportional popularity seemed to me to be a demographic anomaly - who wouldn't like to hear an upgrade from hair metal - but on this one song, they hit it out of the park.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobDQ0vdm8M |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Henry Nagle
From:
Santa Rosa, California
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 5:57 pm
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Funny How Time Slips Away - Willie Nelson
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered - Cole Porter ?
Incident On 57th Street - Bruce Springsteen
Let Him Roll - Guy Clark
Clouds(Both Sides Now) - Joni Mitchell
Satisfied Mind - Faron Young ?
In My Life - The Beatles
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You - Bob Dylan
True Love Ways - Buddy Holly
Barstow - Jay Farrar
Jennifer Johnson - Shell Silverstein
Bruised Orange - John Prine
My Friend George - Lou Reed
etc, etc
Really, it's a ridiculous question, but a fun one. Thanks Marc! |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 6:17 pm
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| I won't touch 'perfect' and I won't get started on what could be an endless list---there's a lot of great songs in my life--more than 6 or 7, I bet, if I took out my toes and started counting----but here's one that I consider 'miraculous'; Bob Dylan, Positively 4th Street (You've got a lot of nerve...). 8 bars. No bridge. No chorus. Four minutes of nothing but those same 8 bars. And at the end of each verse as it holds the V chord I am ready for another verse. If it didn't fade out it wouldn't know how to end. And I'd still be listening. |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 6:40 pm
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Easy as Pie. Everly Bros.
The Man that Got Away, Judy Garland.
Matter of fact, just about anything she did qualifies in my book. There is a good Bio of JG on OPB. Judy Garland, Dina Shore and Dale Evens have always been my favorite female vocalists.
What a Way to Live, WN,
Thanks a Lot, ET
My Hand, by Buddy Miles
Down by the River Buddy Miles.
1983 by Jimmy Hendrix.
Many more, but just a few I thought of.
EJL |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 6:41 pm
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Dup.
Last edited by Eric West on 3 Feb 2008 1:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 6:55 pm
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There are so many, but one that never fails to send a shiver down my spine is Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", in all its three chord minimalist glory..
Steinar
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube |
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Dennis Graves
From:
Maryville, Tennessee
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 7:09 pm
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I Threw Away The Rose---Merle Haggard
Satisfied Mind---Porter Wagoner
He Stopped Loving Her Today---George Jones
The Grand Tour---George Jones
Chiseled In Stone---Vern Gosdin
I Can't Stop Loving You---Don Gibson
Together Again---Buck Owens
It's good ole country all the way for me.
Dennis |
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Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 7:40 pm
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"Bartender's Blues" George Jones.
Brett-"Redgold Beauty's proud player/owner |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 7:52 pm
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| Any song Ray Price has ever sang, and "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" swing style of course. |
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Richard Nelson
From:
Drogheda, Louth, Ireland
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 10:01 pm
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Steinar,Wicked Games is a good listening song,And the vidio was really good for watching also.DYKBC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 10:55 pm
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Henry, you are right, this IS ridiculous... but fun.
There are a lot of songs listed here that I could easily add to my list... especially 1983, Positively 4th Street and Tonight I'll Be Staying... |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Scott Shipley
From:
The Ozark Mountains
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Posted 2 Feb 2008 11:59 pm
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Porter Wagoner...."Caroll County Accident"
Well written, nice twist to the end of a good story, great music. Not overproduced, and it even had b*njo!!!
No radio tag. When the song is over, IT'S OVER. Remember the good ol' days?
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 12:47 am
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I've yet to hear a song that I could call 'perfect'. I usually like songs for their parts - some may have only one or two good parts, others may have several. But I've never liked an entire song.
That said, there are a lot of songs that I like because they have certain parts that make them 'hits'. For me, a song has to have some kind of 'hook' to it to make me want to listen to it again. |
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Henry Nagle
From:
Santa Rosa, California
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 1:06 am
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We Are The Champions - Queen
Another Friday Night - David Ackles
Bugs - Bobbie Gentry
Tired Eyes - Neil Young |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 2:19 am
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A perfectly crafted song and still highly enjoyable: Steve Goodman`s City of New Orleans. It`s been done way too many times, but imagine hearing it for the first time.
Also,Jimmy Webb`s stuff like Wichita Lineman etc.
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Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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Scott Shipley
From:
The Ozark Mountains
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Posted 3 Feb 2008 3:21 am
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| Yeah Olli, all those sides Jimmy Webb produced on Glenn back in the day were incredibly well crafted. The chord changes were perfect. Great use of colors. |
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